Bttckle



R. BOBINS.

BUCKLE.

APPLlcAxoN FILED APu.21,1919.

UNITED STATES ROBERT IBOBINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUCKLE.

Application led April 21,

T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT BOBINs, a citi zen oi' the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the followingis a full, clear, concise, and exact description, rei'- erence being hadto the accompanying drawing, forming a part oi' this specification.

This invention relates to buckles and more particularly to belt buckles.

The invention has among its objects to provide a self-locking bucklewhich will permit thc insertion of the free end of the belt but willautomatically lock the belt against withdrawal after it has beenadjusted to the desired length.

A 'further object is to provide a construction which will adapt itselfto different thicknesses ot belts.

Another object is to provide a buckle having means for easily andquickly clamping one end of the belt thereto, and also clamping meanswhich may be readily released when desired.

A still `further object is to provide a con-y struction of buckle whichwill have means for detachably securing one end of a strap or beltthereto, and also means for automatically locking another portion of thebelt thereto.

A still further object is to provide a construction which willautomatically grip a belt a gainst withdrawal when the belt is insertedtherein, and a construction which does not mar or pierce the belt.

I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention in the accompanyingdrawings and in these drawings,-

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view ot a belt havingmy improvedbuckle in place thereon;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but having thebuckle in the strap-releasing position;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, aportion of the buckle being shown in open or strapreleas ing position;and

Fig. t is a transverse sectional view taken on line 1 4 of Fig. 1. f

The body portion 10 of thebelt buckle is substantially Ushaped insection, as shown in Fig. 1, and is preferably formed of metal, theouter surface of which may be engraved or otherwise suitably ornamented.This Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

1919. Serial No. 291,700.

body portion is provided with flanges 11 to which the buckle isconnected by means of a pivot pin 12. The buckle is made up of areleasing member 13, pivotally mounted on the pin 12 and alsosubstantially U-shaped in section, the member 13 having secured theretomeans i'or clamping the opposite ends ot a belt. The means foradjustably securing the free end of the belt will lirst be described,and this means comprises a cam member 14C having a pair of arms 14formed integral therewith pivoted on the pivot pin 12 above referred to,and normally spring pressed in a direction toward the strap engagingsurface 15 of the portion 10 by means ot a coiled spring 16. This springis carried by the pivot pin 12 and is provided with outwardly extendingends 17 and 18, the end 17 engaging a portion 19 of the releasing vmember 13 of the buckle, and the end 18 engaging one of a pair of dogs2O formed integral with or suitably secured to the arms 14 of the cammember 14, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The releasing member 13 ofthe buckle is cut away or recessed as shown at 21, to permit therotation ot the cam member 14 about its pivot. The dogs 2O are extendedas shown in Fig. 3 to a position overlapping a portion 22 of thereleasing member 13, this portion 22 limiting the movement of the cammember 14 about its pivot in one direction.

As above stated, the releasing member 13 of the buckle is rotatablymounted on the pivot pin 12 and as this member is rotated in a directionaway from the member 10 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the cam member14 will also be rotated and will be disengaged i'rom the free portion ofthe belt, since the dogs 2O above referred to will be engaged by theportion 22 of the releasing member 13.

In addition to the belt engaging member 14 I have also provided upon thereleasing member 13 means for detachably clamping the opposite end ofthe belt thereto, this means comprising a clamping member 23. T hemember 23 is pivoted to the opposite end of the releasing member 13 fromthe pivot pin 12 and is substantially U-shaped in longitudinal section,the end ot the member 23 at one side of the pivot being provided with aseries of teeth 24 'for clamping an end portion 25 of the belt againstthe body member 13 of the buckle, and the opposite end of the member 23is curved as shown at 26, the curved portion fitting over the oppositeend of the member 14 and the intermediate part oft the clamping memberforming a cover plate for protecting theldogs 20Sand spring 16 fromcontact with the clothes of the wearer of the belt. The portion 22 ofthereleasing member 13 is also provided with a .flange 27 `which forms astop for theend'25 of the belt and preventstheend from being insertedtoo far in the buckle. In order to clamp kthe-end 25 of the belt it ismerely Vneeessaryto.swing the clamping member23 inrom-thevposition -indotted lines in Fig. 1 to theposition` shown ini-ull lines. Thecentralportion ofthe clamping member is slotlted as shownvat 28 inFig.3, these slots being ,provided `to permit therotation of-the'cam memberl-lthrougha greater angle of move-- ment, thereby adapting the buckle tobelts ot ygreaterthickness than would be possible were themovement ofthe dogs 2O limited by the-cover portion of the clamping member 23.

The loperation `of the construction above described is-.simple,but willbe briefly set forth. One endof the belt .is yfirst .inserted in thebuckle ;to a position where Itheektreme end vengages the flange .27, theclampingfmember 23 being swung to the position shownvin dottedlines inFig. :1. VVhenfthis endihas beenfso-insertechthe clampingfmemberis swungto'the full line position, .thereby iirmly securingthe end 25 of lthebelt againstremoval. After this has been done :the Voppositeend 29 ofthe belt is inserted beneaththesurface 150i' the body portion 101of thebuckle, -and as this portion o1? the belt cont-acts with thecam r111,vthe cam will be .swung ina =eounter-clockwise directionabout itspivot,.thereby permitting the free entrance of `'the belt. When theportion 29 has been adjustedtolthe desiredposition,it is released andthe cam'me'mber 14 securelyclamps the belt againstwithdrawal. Zhen it isldesired fto loosen `the belt the nwearer vrotates the yreleasing member13 of .the belt Iand the parts attached thereto,

about fthe pivot 12, Ato asuiiicient distance to withdrawthe cam.fromengagement with .the surface of the end portion '29 .of the belt.,In ,practice merely a slight :rotation :is needed andithe end portion29 :may then .be Withdrawn.

While yI fhave fin the above specification .shown .anddescribed butone-embodiment of my invention, it should be understood thatthefinvention is y capable of modification, and

that changes andk modificationsmay be made .Without departing from thespirit and scope Aoftheiinvention as expressed Vin the follow- ;inclaims.

1 aving thus described Imy invention, what I-'claim asnew and desire toseeurerby LetftersPatent, is

l. In-afbuekle, a body member, a releasvingzlnelnber fpiveted thereto, acamy disposed at one end of said releasing member 'for gripping a belt,and means disposed at the oppositeendofsaid member for gripping anotherportion of the belt, said last named means having a portion adapted toshield said cam.

2. 'Ina buckle, a body member, a pivot pincarried thereby, a springpressed belt engaging member carried by said pivot pin, a secondmembercarrledby said-.pivotpin and-having a portion disposed insthe pathof said beltengaging member, and supplemental meanscarriedybyfsaidvseeond member for engaging another `portion v'of saidbelt.

3. In a=buckle, a bodymembena -member pivotedthereto, gripping means:for engaging and gripping a portion otra belt, said resilient meanshaving outwardly extending dogs, means carried by said pivoted memberlor engaging and grippingvanother portion of the belt, said last :namedfmeans being slotted :to permit movement of the dogs therethrough.

4. In a buckle, a Apivotedimembelg-a cam member having dogs, meansforforcingv-said `cam -member fin 1 engagement with a portion ofthestrap, a-fcover plate orshielding said cam member and dogs, said cover`platebeing slotted togpermit the movement ofsaid dogs therethrough.

5. In a buckle, -a -body lmember, a pivot pin carried thereby,fareleasing member carried by said pivot pin, a camicarried atione end or'saidfreleasingmember -for gripping a belt, andmeans disposediat theopposite end .ping :the oppositenend of said belt, said Elast named 1means housing. said pivot fpin, spring and cam.

y7. `Ina-buckle, abodyfmember, a :releas- -ing member having agrippinglmembers lfor gripping the ends of a belt, one of'said, gripping membersserving asa housing for the other gripping member.

8. A belt buckle comprising a mainbodyportion having a fliacefplateportion, and a .pair ofside'flanges between 'Whichone end of the belt isreceived, a pivot pin extending across from one flange to `the other, -a

grippingmember :pivotally mounted on Ysaid pivot pin between which and.saidbody-portiononeiendof the ybelt .is gripped,fand a releasing memberalso pivotally mounted on said pivot pin for releasing said gripping'member.

v9. A vbeltibuckle comprisingha ,main ibodyportion having a face-plateportion, and a pair of side flanges between which one end of the belt isreceived, a pivot pin extending across from one flange to the other, agripping member pivotally mounted on said pivot pin between which andsaid body-portion one end of the belt is gripped, and a releasing memberalso pivotally mounted on said pivot pin for releasing said grippingmember, and means for securing the other end oi the belt to said pivotedreleasing member.

10. A belt buckle Comprising a main body-portion having a face-plateportion, and a pair of side flanges between which one end of the belt isreceived, a pivot pin extending across from one flange to the other, agripping member pivotally mounted on said pivot pin between which andsaid body-portion one end of the belt is gripped, and a releasing memberalso pivotally mounted on said pivot pin for releasing said grippingmember, and means for securing the other end of the belt to said pivotedreleasing member, comprising a dog pivoted on the swinging end of saidreleasing member.

11. A belt buckle comprising a body-portion having a face-plate portionand a pair of flanges between which one end of the belt is received, apivot pin extending from one to the other of said flanges, a grippingmember for gripping one end of the belt against the body-portion, saidgripping member having a pair of arms having a pivotal engagement withsaid pivot pin, a releasing member for releasing said gripping member,said releasing member having a pair of anges between which the other endof the belt is received, said flanges having a pivotal engagement withsaid pivot pin.v

l2. A belt buckle comprising a body-portion having a face-plate portionand a pair of flanges between which one end of the belt is received, apivot pin extending 'from one to the other of said flanges, a grippingmember for gripping one end of the belt against the body-portion, saidgripping member having a pair of arms having a pivotal engagement withsaid pivot pin, a releasing member for releasing said gripping member,said releasing member having a vpair of flanges between which the otherend of the belt is received, said flanges having a pivotal engagementwith said pivot pin, and a gripping jaw for gripping the belt pivotallymounted between the flangesv oit' the releasing member.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ROBERT BOBINS.

